Located between the famed Mt. Auburn Cemetery and endangered wetlands, the Shady Hill School is a private institution for students ages four to twelve. The expansion adds a studio arts complex, two gymnasiums, playing fields and a new entrance to campus.  

The arts complex greets visitors at the west entrance, providing a new identity for the school. By constructing three structures near an existing arts building, Machado Silvetti created a new courtyard space, lined by an elevated wooden deck that reconnects two disparate parts of the wetlands. 

Located at the edge of the playing fields, the gymnasia rise to a two-story height as they distance themselves from the main campus. The smaller of the two gyms can also serve as a performance space, while the larger gym accommodates an open-air rooftop playing area for additional practice space. 

“The Arts Court at Shady Hill School takes full advantage of its context to create an experiential landscape that serves its students, faculty, and staff, as well as the local environment.”

— New England Real Estate Journal